NPP, Choose A Woman For Vice-President

I strongly disagree with Ursula Owusu's assertion that Ghana may not be ready yet for a female running mate to a presidential candidate. There is no indication in Ghanaian political circles that women have not matured enough to become Presidents of the republic.

True, with the notable exception of Konadu Rawlings who recently made a bold attempt to win her party's top spot, no other woman that I can think of has come out to make similar efforts. That seeming inertia on the part of Ghanaian women should not be misconstrued, though, as a lack of political maturity. After all, the sitting President of Ghana, John Evans Mills started his political career as a hand-picked running mate of a major party. After his term as vice-president and three runs for the presidency, he became president. When Mills left the Internal Revenue Service to become Rawlings' running mate, there was no indication that he could become a president some day. Fact is, he didn't look presidential at all! But the years he spent as a vice-president, coupled with the experience he gained in the three subsequent elections, may have finally prepared him for the top leadership position in Ghana.

Ursula Owusu herself has had her name bandied around for several months now as a possible running mate of Nana Addo Dankwa. I know that rumours have swirled around her as a woman with loose morals; and who knows if she has begun to doubt her suitability as a result of the public's perception of her. Or just may be, Nana Akufo Addo has caved in to the public's criticism of her. But it would be wrong for the public to criticise, or Nana Akufo Addo to drop, Ursula because of the questions raised about her conduct. Heck! Who can show me one Ghanaian politician who is a saint? If she could do the job, who cares how often she wants to take her drawers off for men!

It is not too far-fetced to surmise that if a woman was chosen as a running mate some day she could work her way up in similar fashion to become our president. Liberians may not be as politically sophisticated as we Ghanaians are. But they have elected a woman to her second term of office. Ghanaian women are maturer than their Liberian counterparts. I have no doubt in my mind that Ghanaian women could do it too, and that the day is coming - in fact it is upon us - when a woman will become the president of the Republic of Ghana.

Dakosbe Ebsokad dakosbe@yahoo.com